Jon Stead insists his 90th-minute winner could yet turn out to be the most important goal of his Bristol City career.

It looked as though the Championship's bottom side would have to settle for a point when Stead accepted a pass from fellow substitute Steven Davies, cut inside two defenders and beat Scott Loach with an assured finish.

His third goal of the season delivered City's first win of 2013 and restored lost confidence at a stroke.

"It could turn out to be the biggest goal of my Bristol City career," declared Stead.

"I got a few towards the back end of last season to help us get out of trouble, but this one was probably more pleasing in the circumstances.

"We needed something to drop for us and it was a little bit special.

"This is a big three points for us, it is a good result for the new management and I really hope we can kick on from here.

"Looking at the league table has been a bit depressing and, scoring so late in the game, will give everyone a lift going into Tuesday's match against Watford.

"It feels that much better when it comes so late in the game and we need to carry that into the next one. We have to take the lift from this result and use it to build some momentum."

Stead still had a lot to do when he ran onto a downward header from Davies with a minute of normal time to play.

He explained: "I was thinking about hitting it first time to be honest. But as soon as I was settled, I saw the defenders were all coming from one direction and decided to turn them the other way.

"I then went to hit it first time on my left, only for another defender to come in. Rather than hit it against him, I decided to take another little touch and that opened it right up. From then on, there was a good gap for me to put it to the side the keeper is moving away from."

Davies launched the fight-back when cancelling out Daryl Murphy's opener early in the second half.

He recalled: "It was a great move and Paul Anderson has done well to thread the ball through to me.

"I could hear Sam Baldock shouting for the ball but I knew that, if I got a good contact on it, there was a fair chance of it going in.

"To come out in the second half and get such an early goal gave us all a lift. It was a pivotal moment. We knew that, if we took our chances, we could win the game."